The Trueforce
by The Inker
Summary: A new power has been discovered, and Link rushes to claim it. However, it is also sought by another. Will Link get to it in time? Or will a double agent quash his plans to destroy an evil force? AN: Uncompleteable
1. Prologue

PROLOGUE

A fewthings will be unique about this tale. Firstly, I follow my own Zelda timeline, so some may find my references to prior games inaccurate. Next, this narrative has no specific genre. It starts as humour, and then turns to more of an actiony thing. Thirdly, some characters have had roles changed. Next, something is assumed in the timeline explained in chapter 17. The location in the timeline of this story is shortly after Majora's Mask, and 2 years after Ocarina of Time. And finally, the main purpose of this tale is to set up for my _next_ work: The Legend of Zelda - Rise of Darkness. A preview will be located after the fic. Enjoy The Legend of Zelda - The Trueforce!


	2. A Hero Awakens

Sorry I didn't write anything for the prologue. This is my first submission, and I'm still adjusting to the system. Anyway, please enjoy the rest of the story.

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1

"It is finally done," spoke a shadowy figure. "My ultimate device, capable of extracting the ultimate power from those two, is finally complete. I will be unstoppable! Agent Omega, can you lure them here?"

"Yes, Master," spoke a smaller figure. "I will bring them here. And, my study of the legend of the goddesses has brought me some knowledge you may be interested in. It concerns the 'power,' as well as the remaining fragments…"

It was morning in the land of Hyrule. The sun rose slowly over the vast land, as its inhabitants rose from their peaceful slumber. As the dew shimmered on one particular tree house, the boy inside… continued to snore loudly.

He soon met a rude awakening, in the form of a rather boisterous ball of winged light. "WAKE UP LINK!" it screamed quite loudly.

The boy responded by hurling his pillow at the annoying little fairy. "Shut up Navi," he grunted. "It's only 8 o'clock. I still have 6 hours to sleep."

"Okay," snorted Navi. "I'll just tell them to leave now."

"Tell who?" asked Link, now wide-awake.

"Oh, just Zelda, Sahasrahla, and that annoying bird."

Wondering how Navi thought Kaepora Gaebora was more annoying than her, Link sped to the door, forgot to open it, regained consciousness, and opened the door. He was met by a small stampede, which stormed in and dove for Link's only three chairs.

"Hey, Link!" exclaimed a young girl in a purple dress. "How've you been? I haven't seen you since the 'hero of time' incident."

"I've been fine," answered Link, who was staring longingly at the chairs. "Any reason you're here?"

"Yes, actually," answered an old man in a long robe. "We've learned how to stop Ganondorf permanently. But we need you to do it."

Kaepora Gaebora, a rather large owl, began one of his trademark drawn-out speeches. "You recall, I'm sure, how you and Zelda were chosen for the Triforce of Courage and Wisdom respectively. Ganondorf, unfortunately, received the Triforce of Power. This made our only hope, destroying him with the complete Triforce, useless. However…"

"I thought you were telling me good news," Link stated.

"He is," responded Sahasrahla. "Pay attention."

"Thank you," continued Kaepora Gaebora. "As I was saying, the Triforce cannot destroy Ganondorf. However, deep in Death Mountain, there lies a great energy source known as the Force Gem. It was also created by the Goddesses Din, Nayru, and Farore, the goddesses who created Hyrule and the Triforce. They designed it with 63.7 of the power of the Triforce. However, the two can be combined for 438.1 energy output. This is 159.2 of the power needed to destroy Ganondorf."

"So why do you need me?" inquired Link, who was starting to regret answering the door.

Sahasrahla now began to speak. "The doors to the various clues are locked. It takes as much of the Triforce as we can get to break the seals. We have Zelda, and I doubt that Ganondorf will help us destroy him, so that leaves you."

"Great," Link muttered. "So where do we look?"

Zelda stood up and removed a scroll from her satchel. "We have this riddle. It will direct us to the map to the Force Gem. We have yet to decipher it. I'll read it to…"

"I'm glad you acknowledge my brilliance," said Link.

"…Navi," finished Zelda.

Link's jaw dropped as Navi floated triumphantly up to Zelda, who unrolled the scroll. "Let's see…" she said.

"_To find the map to the Force Gem you must seek the front of your body at the place where Charlie does not meet the ceiling. At the sprinkler of Zeta you must search, to find what you seek."_

"You had trouble with _that_?" asked a shocked Navi. "The first part is a chest, the part about Charlie is the sea floor, and the sprinkler of Zeta is Zora's Fountain. That was easier than 'What has four wheels and flies!'"

"A mutant fly?" asked Link. Fortunately, no one heard him. Kaepora Gaebora then questioned Link as to whether he still had the Zora Tunic, a garb that would allow the wearer to breathe underwater. He said he did.

"Very well," commanded Sahasrahla. "We will leave tomorrow morning. By the way," he added for Link, "you forget that I am a Sage. I can read your mind, so please don't think that word to me."

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And there you go! Please continue to read, I already have future submissions lined up if people like this. Please review! 


	3. Forest Fracas

It's time for Link and co. to begin their quest. It won't be too long before they run into trouble, though. Prepare for disaster in the forest!

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2

"The seeds of my plan have been sown. But their progress is too rapid. Agent Gemini, slow them down, will you?"

"Yes Master," spoke two small, hooded figures.

Morning seemed to come unusually early for Link the next day, mostly because Zelda woke him up at 8 o'clock. "WAKE UP!" she screamed in his ear.

Asking himself why no one could just nudge him awake, Link stepped outside. Forgetting he lived in a tree, he then made it to the ground in record time. "It is time," said an impatient Sahasrahla. "We must leave now." The group then began toward the exit to the forest.

Things were going well for the first 23 seconds of the journey. However, when they reached the bridge leading out of the forest, they found it was on fire.

"Well," said a relieved Link, "that's it. No Force Gem for us. We can go back to bed now."

"Not quite," advised Kaepora Gaebora. "As you can see, the bridge is down. But it is not the only way out of the forest. As Link knows quite well, the forest can be escaped through the Lost Woods."

A mortified Link followed all the others to the entrance of the Lost Woods. They were a spooky place, where one wrong turn could send you wandering forever. Link once spent three weeks trying to find his way out.

It was not long after they entered that Link's fear was proven legitimate. As soon as they entered, a pack of feral Skull Kids dropped from the trees. "Lunch!" cheered one. "Food!" screamed another.

"Uh oh," exclaimed Navi. The group promptly sped into the woods, with the skull kids hot on their trail. Link and Navi sped behind a tree, while Zelda dove into a clump of bushes. Sahasrahla ran deeper into the woods, with most of the Skull Kids after him. Kaepora Gaebora, unfairly, flew off.

"CHEATER!" bellowed Link as he, Navi, and Zelda ran off to follow Sahasrahla, with the remaining Skull Kids chasing him. They soon caught up to him. He was standing next to a pool of water, fighting off Skull Kids. Unfortunately, one hit him in the arm with its blowpipe. Unable to fight, Sahasrahla slumped to the ground.

"That's enough!" roared Link as he finally decided to draw his sword. He parried the barrage of darts from the blowpipes and charged the nearest Skull Kid. He leapt, came down, and cleaved it in half with one chop. The remaining Skull Kids quickly ran off.

"Bravo," cheered Sahasrahla, as he stood up while applauding Link. "I knew if you thought you had to, you would get some of your courage back. Look at your hand now."

Despising Sahasrahla for deceiving him, Link glanced at the back of his hand. A look of shock then appeared in his face. For the first time in 2 years, the Triforce of Courage shone on the back of his right hand. "I understand," he said. "By forcing me to show my courage, the Triforce reemerged."

"Sure," said Sahasrahla, unsurely. "Anyway, deep in this pool of water is the secret tunnel to Zora's Domain. Zora's Fountain is just beyond."

"Don't remind him," piped in Navi. "He still curls into a ball when he hears the words 'Jabu-Jabu.'"

"What are we waiting for?" asked Zelda. "Let's go!" And so the remaining team members dove into the pool and headed off to Zora's Domain.

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How was that? I'll reveal Agent Gemini in a later chapter. Please review!


	4. Agent Aqua

And I'm back with another chapter of The Trueforce! By now, the troupe has reached Zora's Domain, but the next step of the quest isn't so cut and dry (HAR-DE-HAR-HAR). Enjoy!

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3

"What do you mean we can't go through?" demanded Zelda.

"I cannot allow you to enter the Fountain," replied an exasperated King Zora. "Lord Jabu-Jabu" (Link began to suck his thumb) "died last month. We refuse to let you enter his sacred ground."

"Well, that was a bust," sighed Link as they reemerged through the waterfall that leads to Zora's Domain. "Thanks to you, I've wasted my entire day on some wild keese chase instead of my usual sleeping in."

"That statement is inaccurate at best," said a monotonous voice from above. The gang looked up to see Kaepora Gaebora descend from the sky.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" demanded Zelda.

"That information is irrelevant," replied the irritated owl. "I see a way past your present predicament. I borrowed Link's Farore's Wind spell" (Link checked his tunic, then cursed) "and I flew in and placed the Warp Point at the Altar of Jabu-Jabu." (Link entered the fetal position) "By use of the spell, you may all enter the fountain."

"Wonderful," smiled Sahasrahla. "Everyone, gather around Link. Link, activate the spell." Grumbling, Link took the spell from Kaepora Gaebora, there was a flash of green light, and the troupe was gone.

"Phase Two of the plan is complete. Zora's Fountain has so much water… Agent Gemini, deploy Agent Aqua."

Zora's Fountain glowed green for a moment, and then the 5 adventurers appeared in the middle of the Altar of Jabu-Jabu. They all looked around, Link sank to the ground, and then they approached the edge and gazed down into the fountain.

"I think I see it," said Zelda. She pointed toward the center of the Fountain's floor. "It's that square door down there with the fancy insign…"

There was a burst of black smoke and two small hooded figures appeared riding brooms. One had an orange jewel on its hood while the other had a blue jewel. Of the five, only Sahasrahla recognized them. "Twinrova!" he exclaimed.

"Yes! It is we!" replied Koume. "We we are!" responded Kotake. "It has been tough for you," "But it will not be tough any longer." "For your quest" "Has come to an end!"

Kotake removed a red sphere from her satchel. It appeared to be pulsating. Koume bellowed "The Fountain being a fountain" "Will be how you die!" Kotake dropped the sphere into the water.

The water of the fountain began to churn as the witches disappeared another cloud of smoke. The water was now frothing and bubbling. Suddenly the water became slightly bluer as strands of water extended from the fountain. They mixed together to form a giant head. It then bellowed "I…AM…MORPHA!"

"Oh, s---," muttered Link. The head then formed a large tentacle, which slammed down on the Altar, smashing it to pieces. Fortunately, everyone had climbed onto the rocks nearby.

"Link, use your Hover Boots!" called Sahasrahla. "Walk out there and take care of Morpha!"

"HOW ABOUT NO?" asked Link, who was subsequently forced into the Hover Boots and shoved onto the lake. "FINE!" he screamed as he drew his sword and charged at Morpha.

Link ran toward Morpha, dodging tentacles, but one formed under him, lifting him into the air. He futilely tried to sever the tentacle, but his sword went right through the watery mass. He was then flung across the Fountain. Fortunately, the rather large bump on the noggin gave him a good idea.

Link pulled his bow from his tunic, nocked an arrow, and launched it at Morpha. It made a direct hit, splitting Morpha in twain. The water instantly collapsed and returned to its original shade.

"Well, now that that's over, shall we continue?" asked Sahasrahla. "Link, hand me your Zora Tunic." Link did so, and Sahasrahla turned it into four balls of blue light. These entered each of our four heroes. "The essence of the Zora Tunic will allow us to breathe underwater for three hours. We can now enter the water." The four entered the water.

They swam toward the door. Zelda read the inscription. "Ye who triumph over Courage, present your key." Link held up his hand to the door, and a crack of light appeared in the center. The door then opened, and the troupe was sucked into the portal of light.

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There! Suspenseful, ain't it? I know the hover boots don't work that way, don't complain. I can't tell if this chapter was shorter (I'm too lazy to check) and I know the next one is. Give me some more reviews and I'll do 2 IN A ROW next time. See you then!  



	5. The Mountain Path

Welcome back to The Trueforce! The gang has just entered a mysterious portal, and who knows where it will take them (I Do!)? Read on!

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4

It was as though all shadow was obliterated from sight. Link's eyes watered from the brightness. He couldn't even see through the light, as he was hurled forward through time and space.

And then it was over. Link and company jolted to a stop in what appeared to be the same pool they had left in. That this estimate was wrong, however, became apparent when they surfaced.

They were in a small pool on the edge of a mountain, with a trail running forward around it. On the left was a steep incline, too steep to be climbed. On the right, a sharp drop, too far to even see the bottom. Plants grew sparsely along the edge of the trail. The team clambered out of the pool and began to walk along the only available path, the Mountain Trail.

"Hmm…" Navi thought aloud as they traveled the path. "This is _supposed_ to be a challenging trial. All we have to do is walk. Are we supposed to just tire out? Where's the hard?"

"Shhh, you'll jinx it!" warned Link, but it was too late. As though the mountain had been listening, a faint rumble became audible from the peak. As the group slowly turned to gaze upward toward the sound, specks – thousands of specks – became visible at the extent of their range of vision. As the specks grew, Link suddenly realized what they were: "BOULDERS!"

With all the speed of an enraged cucco, the adventurers began to speed around the trail. With oversized rocks plummeting behind and in front of them, they ducked, zigzagged, and dove, working their way around the mountain to the summit.

At the top was a rather large temple, sealed with a door quite similar to the one back in Zora's Fountain. Imprinted on the door was a rhyming inscription:

Young Hero of Courage, hear this plea

To acquire the Force, face Trials 3

First, this time, instead of cryin'

You must face the great Antlion

"Antlion?" questioned a puzzled Link. "What the hell is an Antlion?"

"Who cares?" exclaimed Navi. "All that matters is that you go in there, whip that thing's a--, grab the map, and we go get that 'Power Rock,' or whatever."

After a further 20 minutes of arguing, Link walked up to the door, opened it with the Triforce of Courage, and the party began to enter the temple. However, once Link entered, before anyone else (including Navi) could follow, the door instantaneously sealed itself shut. Link was now locked, alone, wetting himself, in a huge, circular room. The floor was nothing but sand, and it appeared to go fairly deep. Link was perplexed.

"Where is this 'Roachtiger,'" pondered a memory-lacking Link. Suddenly, as though in response, what looked like a small, yellow tree protruded from the sand.

"THAT'S IT?" stammered Link. "That thing couldn't hurt…" Link was interrupted by the fact that the entire chamber had exploded into a ferocious sandstorm. As the sand spun, Link could make out a large, insectoid figure rising from the sand. When 30 feet of beast had risen from the sand, the storm died down.

Link found himself staring down what looked like a gigantic red scorpion, with six thick yellow legs, huge mandibles, two large black eyes, and a 50-foot-long yellow stinger (what Link saw first). While staring ominously, words suddenly formed at the bottom of Link's field of vision:

Sand-Dwelling Scorpion

ANTLION

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How will Link ever beat this monstrous creature? Find out next chapter!

A/N: Because of a reckless promise I made last chapter, I'm uploading the next chapter immediately.

A/N 2: I don't know if it's portrayed anywhere else, but the Antlion I used is moderately based on a cross between monsters from two Final Fantasy games; both also called Antlions.


	6. Sands of Death

Welcome back! Last time, Link stumbled across a huge insectoid beast guarding a map. Can he beat it? Find out!

A/N: This is, in my opinion, the best battle I've ever written. The rest in this story are ok, but from The Rise of Darkness (which will posted following this story's completion) onward, they are exceptionally worse.

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5

After deciding that messing himself wouldn't do any good, then doing it anyway, Link drew his sword and prepared for battle. The Antlion roared, then swung its tail at Link, who dodged easily. Link dashed to its side and swung his sword at one of the six legs. It sliced through with all the ease of cutting cement with a spoon. The frustrated scorpion responded by kicking Link across the room into the wall.

When Link climbed out of the crater, he looked at the Antlion. It seemed to be spinning. Puzzled, Link cautiously approached the beast. When he was only a few yards away, the Antlion was spinning fast enough to generate a small cyclone, pushing Link back. The sand then started to rise, in effect turning the cyclone into a sandstorm. The gritty particles scraped up badly the exposed area of Link's skin. Wincing in pain, Link tried to think of some way to cut through the wind. Then it came to him. He hurled his boomerang.

As though guided by some mystical, unseen force, the boomerang spun through the storm. It flew toward the Antlion's huge stinger. It connected. As the stinger fell, globs of green pus spewed forth from the wound. The creature roared in pain. The spinning stopped immediately, and the sandstorm ceased. Link kept his smug look for only a moment, then it dropped for 2 reasons: the Antlion was still alive, and boomerangs are boomerangs.

Link pulled himself off the ground just in time to avoid an incoming foot, but not in time to avoid being sent across the room, airmail, by that same foot. As he got up, the Antlion turned to face him. It spat a strange gray glob at him. Link blocked it with his shield, then nearly fainted. His shield had turned to stone.

Link got up and began to madly circle the perimeter of the room. This tactic allowed him to avoid plenty of petrifying spit, but he was soon, once again, kicked into the wall.

This fourth bang in the head made Link think of a rather clever plan. He pulled out his hookshot. He ran toward the Antlion, dodging gobs of dangerous spit. When he got close enough, he leapt forward, and fired his hookshot straight into the ceiling. When he had been pulled all the way up to the top, he let go, pointed his sword downward, and dove toward the beast.

"What is taking so long?" demanded Zelda. She and the others had been waiting outside all this time.

"I would suppose that the Antlion is getting the better of him," replied Kaepora Gaebora. "They are quite aggressive when placed as guards of powerful objects."

Sahasrahla sighed. "Even so," he responded, "his failure would probably eject us from this realm."

"Don't be so negative," complained Navi. "Link may have the mental capacity of a stewed prune, but if he's survived the 'Hero of Time' incident, what are the odds a simple insect could beat him?"

"An Antlion is a 30-foot-tall scorpion with petrifying breath and the most lethal poison of any creature known today," answered Sahasrahla.

Before Navi could cry out in worry, a flash of white light engulfed the adventurers. For an instant the light was blinding, then it dimmed, and they were gone.

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How did the battle turn out? I'M NOT TELLING! Just read and review to find out!

P.S.: The gang is on no ordinary mountain path! Find out where they are later on.


	7. Flight From the Fountain

I've given up on humans. No one is reviewing this, or even reading it. I don't care. I'll continue to post more chapters anyway. I'll give one warning to you: Pay attention when I post my next story. In fact, after it, you'll read this one anyway, or else certain immortality won't make sense... I mean... I didn't say that.

Anyway, if you _are_ reading this, you'll know that Link just fought an Antlion for the map to the Trueforce. This chapter is kind of filler-ish, but the next one is important. 

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6

With a brilliant flash of light, four shadowed figures (and one ball of light) dropped onto what was left of the Altar of Jabu-Jabu. Zelda glanced around and spotted Link, lying face down, unconscious, a few feet away. "LINK!" she cried out as she ran over. She knelt beside him and rolled him over. His eyes were closed and he was not moving. Zelda then noticed something clutched in his hand. It appeared to be a rather old scrap of parchment.

The map.

"HE DID IT!" she cried out at a volume that awoke Link from his deep meditation (actually, a fear-induced coma). She pulled loose the map and held it up for all to see. Sahasrahla took it from her and examined it.

After a few moments of contemplation, he groaned. "This is written in an ancient Sheikah language, unused by even their species. It will take quite a while to decipher it."

"That's okay," said Navi, as she stared at the exit to Zora's Fountain. "I'm sure our company won't mind."

This comment directed everyone to glance toward the opening. Link curled into the fetal position as they stared down approximately 1946 Zora Security Guards. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN HERE?" the apparent leader demanded, motioning toward the obliterated altar.

"Decorating?" replied Navi. The Zoras pondered this a moment.

Finally, the leader replied. "I don't thi…" he began, before noticing they had all sped past the troop (except Kaepora Gaebora, who had once again flew away, much to the chagrin of Link). "AFTER THEM!" he bellowed. The entire army raced after the quartet. The following chase scene carried on for 2 hours, with such an array of special effects and wonderful cameos that it could never be included in a low-budget production like this.

Anyway, when it ended, Link and company were on the arch outside Zora's Domain, gasping for breath. "Boy, I thought that death ray would never run out of energy."

"Yeah," added Link, "and those blood-sucking caterpillars were relentless."

Ignoring the wussiness of this comment, Sahasrahla began to utter a mysterious incantation. When they couldn't get through to him, they began to walk down to Hyrule Field. When they had found a nice flat area to set up camp, and Link had unwillingly cleared it of Peahats, they pitched tents and went to sleep. All except Sahasrahla, who was still muttering his incantation.

After what seemed like 20 minutes, Link was shook awake by Zelda. "Link," she whispered.

"Bluh?" he replied.

Zelda answered this "question" with ease: "He's finished."

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Riveting, huh? Yes, I got that idea from And Now For Something Completely Different. Anyway, the next chapter is crucial. If you even remember this exists, keep reading.

I bet no one's guessed who Omega is yet!


	8. The Path Ahead

Sorry. I just saw how pitifully short the last chapter was. I decided to post this one too out of pity for myself. Read on.

In this chapter, the team will find out what lies ahead in their quest. PAY ATTENTION!

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7

The adventurers gathered in the center of camp around the map, which was softly glowing. 5 minutes later, when Link finally arrived, the glow disappeared to reveal new lines, words, and marks. "The map may now be followed," spoke Sahasrahla, the first words he'd uttered in hours.

"They are doing better than I'd expected. Omega, I need more information. Find out what you can and return it to me."

Zelda picked up the map and read: "This map you now hold proves you have courage and truth enough to be permitted to wield the awesome power of the Trueforce. Two more trials await before the power is yours. The first shall be for the ability to harness this power. Hidden in an area of the Sacred Realm is the ancient artifact known as the Bottle of Yardrat. This container is forged of shards of the Yardrat Meteor, which hit Hyrule the same day the Goddesses created it. It alone can contain the power of the Force Gem until such time as it is released.

"This area of the Sacred Realm is only accessible through a gateway high on what will be known as Death Mountain. The one named Link shall be your guide," Zelda finished. Everyone turned to stare at Link.

"I thought we were in the Sacred Realm," muttered Sahasrahla. "Anyway, Link, if you truly know where this gateway is located, you have suppressed the knowledge well. I cannot find it in your thoughts."

"This is because he does not know," came a voice from above. Much to the displeasure of Link, Kaepora Gaebora descended into the camp. "You see, there are two Links in Hyrule. The Link you know is not the one mentioned in the clue. The son of King Darunia of the Gorons also goes by the name Link."

"Now I remember," said Link. "Darunia said he would enter my name into Goron Lore through his son as thanks for clearing out Dodongo's Cavern."

"Plus we met him seven years in the future," added Navi. "Now, when can we get started?"

"Tomorrow," answered Sahasrahla. "I, for one, would like some sleep. Ancient spells can really take a lot out of you. Kaepora Gaebora, if you have the energy, please send word to Darunia that we will be arriving tomorrow."

"Of course I have the energy, I am nocturnal," the owl replied, before spreading his large wings and flapping off into the night's sky.

"Can we sleep now?" asked Link, who without waiting for an answer dove into his tent and nodded off.

"Yes," Sahasrahla repeated. "We depart at dawn."

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How was that? Pretty informative, huh? Yes, I've watched Dragonball Z. I chose BoY (not boy, it's an acronym) on purpose. If you read this, then just wait for the next chapter. 

If you've been paying close attention, you could start to formulate a theory about Omega by now.


	9. Agent Vulcan

Here's the next chapter. Will the trek up Death Mountain prove to be eventful? Vulcan will make sure it is. Read on!

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8

"So they're going up Death Mountain, eh? With the help of Agent Vulcan, they'll soon discover the reason for that name."

"How much farther?" demanded Link. "We've been climbing for hours!"

"It's been eleven minutes, ya pansy," replied Navi. The troupe had been slowly but surely ascending the Death Mountain Trail toward the city of the Gorons. And Link was hating every moment.

"ARE WE THERE YET?!" bellowed Link.

"Almost," responded Sahasrahla. "We're just now passing the entrance to Dodongo's Cavern." The now-empty cave stood breathlessly before them.

"'LO THERE!!!" came an unnecessarily loud voice. The team looked up just in time to dive out of the way of a falling boulder. Kaepora Gaebora swooped down after it.

Zelda looked puzzled. "You sound different than normal today. And WHY DID YOU DROP A ROCK ON US?!" The answer revealed itself as the rock uncurled.

Where the rock was was now a large creature with a rough, rocky back: a Goron. "Hi!" it said gleefully. "You must be the heroes the owl told us about! And you must be the fabled Hero of the Gorons!" he said, directing his gaze at Link.

"Yeah, that's me," answered a happy Link. He then decided to show off his sword skills, after which Sahasrahla showed off his medical skills. "Okay," he said uneasily, "when do we start to the gateway?"

"Now," said Link. "The gateway is at the peak. It's only a 20-minute climb. Nothing at all."

20 minutes later

The six adventurers approached the top of Death Mountain. Then Link came to an abrupt stop. "Something's wrong," he realized. "The mountain should be taller. It leveled off too soon."

"Remember" "Us?" came a pair of voices as the Twinrova appeared at the center of the flat summit. "You beat Morpha" "But he was nothing." "After this battle" "YOU will be nothing."

Koume then raised her staff and fired a bolt of fire down into a crevasse. The witches then vanished as the mountain began to shake. From out of the fissure came an incredibly long dragon with long hair of flames and twin emerald eyes. The serpent rose into the air, curled around, and descended back in to the fissure. Once again, all but Sahasrahla were clueless. He recognized it easily: "VOLVAGIA!!"

The dragon was clearly moving about under them, but there was no clue as to where it would next surface. Link had no choice but to draw his sword and run around like a cucco with its head cut off. This did not prove beneficial, as Volvagia soon rose from the ground and lifted Link into the sky.

"He's completely useless," muttered Zelda. She pulled a flash bomb from her pocket and threw it to the ground. When the light cleared, Zelda was gone. In her place stood a tall man with a covered face, red eyes, and dark blond hair: Shiek.

Shiek pulled out a chain and whipped it upwards. It wrapped around Volvagia's tail and pulled him up to the dragon. He quickly ran along its back until he reached its head. He then leapt forward, flipped around, and hurled a dagger directly into the dragon's mouth. Volvagia roared in pain, and did an abrupt nosedive. Link, by this time, had landed, upside-down, on the ground.

The dragon fell from the sky. On the way down, it rotted within instants, and all that hit the ground was a shower of bones. "Well, I did good," boasted Link, who was subsequently banged on the head by a falling skull. An exhausted Zelda landed beside him.

"Can we please get on with it already?" inquired Navi.

"Yes, right this way," answered Link. They descended into the aforementioned hazardous trench. After a few minutes they came to a stone door. "Ye who triumph over Wisdom present your key." Zelda used the Triforce of Wisdom to open the gateway, and they were sucked back into the Sacred Realm.

* * *

Ever notice that monsters are easier to kill in fanfictions? Don't worry, bigger fights are yet to come. The bottle must be found!

P.S.: You know, Star Fox Adventures isn't as bad as people say it is...


	10. Which Switch?

Guess what, (semi-) loyal fans? I got two reviews since last chapter! And to think I'd lost as much faith in my audience as Stephen Colbert did in the Colbert Nation. But I digress.

Does anyone think they figured out my cryptic clue from last chapter? Does anyone even know what I'm talking about? Find out how smart you guessers are at the end of the chapter!

Speaking of the chapter, Link takes a back-seat this time. It's Zelda's turn to shine! Let's take a look...

* * *

9

When the blinding, supersonic travel ended, Link and company were ejected onto dry land in the Sacred Realm. This time, however, there was no lake, no mountain trail. This area of the Sacred Realm was just a small stone room. On the wall was 5 coloured buttons: red, yellow, green, blue, and brown. On the wall above them was an inscription:

_If you desire to go on_

_And get the bottle from Galdon_

_Then find the one, unlike the rest_

_That will not lead to certain death_

_Though from the rainbow they all came_

_One of them is not the same_

_The sea, you see, is not your friend_

_And your blood will signify your end_

_Wealth, in this case, won't be good_

_It will keep you from your neighbourhood_

_If you desire to go on_

_Pick the right switch and battle Galdon_

"What does that all mean?" asked Link.

"It's a riddle," answered Sahasrahla. "One button will save us and send us to this Galdon, while the rest will kill us. But don't worry, the safe one is obviously…" Sahasrahla's mouth was suddenly covered with dark energy. He then reached for a button, but a bolt of lightning sent him across the room.

"I see," responded Kaepora Gaebora. "Clearly, the only one permitted to solve the riddle is Zelda, holder of the Triforce of Wisdom."

"Then get solving," demanded Navi. "And don't screw up."

"Okay," replied Zelda. "Let's see… sea… blue is the sea. Blue is a bad one. Blood… blood red… red is also bad. Gold is worth a lot of wealth, so it must be a bad one… there are no other clues, so it's either green or brown. Let's try green," she said as she pressed the button.

Immediately, 3-inch spikes protruded from the walls. The walls then slowly started to move inwards. By now, Sahasrahla had gotten back to their location and removed the dark energy from his maw. "Hurry, Zelda!" he said uncommonly loudly.

"Okay, let me see…" she answered. "If green was clearly the wealth, let's try yellow." This button merely accelerated the movement of the walls.

"That didn't work. Could the sea have meant a sea of our blood?"

"IT DOSEN'T MATTER! WE'LL DIE ANYWAY IF YOU PICK ONE MORE WRONG ONE! JUST **PICK ONE**!!!!!" screamed Link.

"Okay," Zelda thought aloud. "It's either blue or brown. Here we go…" Zelda pushed the brown button.

There was a scream and a crash in the room. Link screamed from fright of his own death. The crash was the sudden retraction of the spikes. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as the buttons disappeared, along with a portion of the wall. They began to go through. Navi went first. But after Link, who went next, passed through the opening, it suddenly resealed itself. Link and Navi were sealed in a gigantic cave-like room with a huge ice sculpture that was holding….

"The Bottle of Yardrat!" shouted Navi. "Link, melt that sculpture!"

"Okay…" he said apprehensively. He pulled out a Fire Arrow and blasted the sculpture. The resultant steam fogged both their vision. But Link could make something out through the steam. "That's no statue…" The telltale words appeared in his field of vision:

Armoured Plasma Dragon

GALDON

* * *

Just two things to close with this time:

1. I was _originally_ going to check if I got the Galdon's name right. But I was too lazy. If I'm wrong, and if anybody cares, just tell me and I'll fix it.

2. I recently recieved a complaint about the length of my chapters. Sadly, since I have already written this entire fic _and_ the next one, too, this will not change for a _loooooooooooooong_ time.

I _may_ post another story in the near future. I haven't decided yet. Until I decide, stay tuned to The Trueforce!


	11. Death From the Inside

Okay, I'm finally showing signs of life! I know, it's been... um... how long has it been since my last update? Anyway, here's the tenth chapter. Link gets to fight a giant monster! Hooray! Not hooray for him, though. After all, he hates being eaten... I mean... Look over there[runs away

* * *

10

Link stood dumbstruck (literally) in front of the gargantuan terror. Galdon was a 100-foot tall lizard with a 1-foot thick shell on his back. It had a thick collared neck with eight claws and two large, glowing yellow eyes. It walked upright, and moved fairly quickly for its size.

The beast noticed Link and determined that he was after its treasure. It responded by tossing up the Bottle of Yardrat and swallowing it in one gulp. "IT SWALLOWED IT!!!" shrieked Navi.

Link was still too scared to move. Link's period of shock was broken, however, when Galdon kicked him across the room. "WHY DO THEY ALWAYS DO THAT!?" screamed Link as he picked his sorry a-- up off of the ground. He fired another Fire Arrow at the dragon. He scored a direct hit in Galdon's leg. The beast merely… well… didn't even notice.

"Link, the weird words said 'Armoured,' remember?" complained Navi. "You have to find a weak point. Now think, who was your last giant armoured opponent?"

Link thought for a moment as he ran around dodging plasma blasts (which Galdon was firing from his mouth). He thought "Hmm… that would be Ganon. His weak point was his tail."

"Then try there," replied Navi. Link nodded, drew his sword, and redirected his course toward Galdon. The creature tried to kick him, but the moment of instability when it missed allowed Link to get behind it. He swung his Gilded Sword and surgically removed Galdon's tail.

The beast roared in pain. It decided not to fool around with Link anymore. It spun around and grabbed Link with one hand. As Link struggled, Galdon hurled him up into the air. Navi suddenly realized what was happening. She called out, but it was too late. Link fell down into Galdon's gaping maw and was swallowed whole.

"Disappointing. I expected more. The definition of 'Hero' must have changed."

"Wait, Master." "We sense a large concentration of energy from the beast's gullet." "We recommend that you wait things out before giving anymore orders."

"Very well, Gemini. He has 5 minutes to reemerge alive."

Deep in the stomach of Galdon, something was stirring. A being was conscious in the creature's immense belly. The figure rose to a standing position.

Link was alive.

"This is disgusting," groaned Link. "I'm not staying in here. I'm getting out if it's the last thing I do." Link reached into his tunic and pulled out approximately 365 bombs, which he laid against the wall of Galdon's gigantic gut.

Link then removed a mask from his tunic, which was shaped like Link's face. The moment it touched his head, the soul of the fallen Goron chieftain of Snowhead Mountain left the mask and entered Link's body. He immediately began to swell as his body changed shape. He grew huge muscles, a rock-solid back, and an overly large gut. He had basically _become_ a Goron.

Link removed a large wooden keg, full to bursting with gunpowder, from his tunic (Don't ask me how it fit). He laid it next to the bombs. He then punched it. His punch was so strong that the air friction ignited the fuse on the powder keg. Link ran to the polar opposite side of the belly and curled into an armoured ball. Then the explosives exploded.

Even as a ball of rock, the force of the blast caused Link slight pain (he pulled off the mask and screamed in pain). The result was astonishing to Link: "HE'S STILL INTACT!? HOLY F---!!!" This was the least of his surprises.

He felt a strange rumbling. It grew stronger and the stomach began to convulse. Link realized what was happening. "OH NO! HE'S GONNA…."

Outside, Navi had been flying around as fast as fast as she could, trying to dodge plasma blasts from Galdon. Suddenly it stopped. The beast began to make strange noises. Navi heard a strange thud and Galdon began to shake. With an almighty expulsion of liquid and food, Galdon vomited Link onto the ground. He was in the fetal position. "The world is ending… the world is ending…" he repeated over and over.

"GET UP A------!!!" bellowed Navi. The obscenity of this call brought Link back to his senses. "Whatever you did in there, it worked," she continued. This was true. The armour on Galdon's chest was cracked and a thin trickle of blood was seeping through.

"Good," Link responded. "Now I just have to hit a point 70 feet in the air with some sort of explosive. Real simple." Link was subsequently blasted with a plasma shot; Galdon was back to fighting. They force of Link's head colliding with the wall gave him an unusually good idea.

Link removed a mouse-shaped device from his tunic. He pulled on the tail and it scurried off toward Galdon. The creature fired plasma blasts at it, but its vision was being afflicted by the pain its chest, causing it to miss the bombchu (but repeatedly hit Link). The machine reached Galdon's leg and began to climb. Galdon swung his arm at the device but once again missed. The bombchu reached the crack just as the internal fuse finished burning.

The explosion shattered Galdon's armour, clearly breaching his structural integrity, for he began to simply fall apart. One large piece landed at Link's feet, and a glass object fell out. "It's the Bottle of Yardrat!" cheered Navi. Link picked it up the bottle as he and Navi were enveloped in a blinding white light. When it faded, they were gone.

* * *

Okay, I'm back. So, Link defeated the great Galdon. No cliffhanger like last time. And in case anybody noticed, yes, that fight was stolen directly out of Star Fox Adventures, by those traitors at Rare. And did anyone else notice that Link gets smart by being hit on the head? Maybe that works in real life...

Nope... Doesn't work...


	12. Air Hyrule

A short one this time. But you're gonna like it. More importantly, I wish that this chapter's mode of transportation was possible in the game. I hate walking. No, I mean in real life, too. I pride myself on my lethargy.

* * *

11

With the usual blinding flash of light, the sextet reappeared at the peak of Death Mountain. "Well, thanks for the fun guys," said Link. He rolled into a ball and bounced back down the mountain. Sahasrahla pulled out the map.

"It's changed," he observed. "'You have acquired the Bottle. Your quest is almost complete. All that remains is the Force Gem itself. The jewel contains ultimate power, and what has more power than a forest? In eastern Hyrule there will grow a great, enchanted forest. Deep in the darkest area of this forest is the Door of Power. However, this door contains the most challenging trial of all; only the one who is superior to himself may triumph. The one named Mido shall be your guide.'"

"NOOOOO!!!" Link screamed dramatically. "You're telling me I have to _rely_ on Mido? I'll never live it down!" Link wandered randomly while clutching his head.

"Get off me!" came a deep voice. Link found himself falling to the ground as the humungous Goron he was standing on rose out of a giant crater. "You sure are heavy for your size."

"We don't care, Biggoron," answered Navi. "We just need to get to the forest. The fate of Hyrule as well as you probably depends on it unless I'm wrong in which case it doesn't."

"Okay," replied Biggoron. "All passengers, we are preparing for liftoff, please secure all carry-ons in the overhead luggage bins and fasten your seatbelts." Biggoron then grabbed the heroes and threw them in the general direction of Kokiri Forest. Unfortunately, Kaepora Gaebora flew off before becoming airline waste (although Link thought he already was).

Link, Navi, Zelda, and Sahasrahla landed directly on the top of Mido's house. However, it could not bear their weight and collapsed – on top of Mido.

"Get off me, you reject!" Mido yelled at Link. The two had never gotten along, ever since Link was a baby; this was mostly because for the first 11 years of his life, Link was the only Kokiri without a fairy. Then he hated him for killing the Great Deku Tree (which was Ganondorf's fault). Then he hated him for being able to leave the woods (which was sort of Ganondorf's fault). Then he hated him for making Saria leave (which was Ganondorf's fault). The point is, Mido despised Link.

"Okay," agreed Link, who made sure he stepped on Mido's head on the way down. "Anyway," he grumbled, "we came because… well… we sort of… need your help." Link pulled a bar of soap from his tunic and began scrubbing his tongue.

Mido stood awe-struck. He stammered, "You asked for my help? You must really need it, you'd kill yourself if not."

"Calm down," interrupted Zelda. "Mido, have you seen a large stone door in the Lost Woods?"

"Duh, of course," he sneered. "The woods are my responsibility after _he_ killed the Great Deku Tree and chased off Saria."

"Listen Mido, we need to get to that door as soon as possible," interjected Sahasrahla. "Can you take us there?"

"No," he answered plainly. "If Link asks for my help, I say no. That's the rule."

Navi grabbed Mido by the tunic. "Listen you s---," she threatened. "We have been chased, crushed, blasted, stabbed, and soaked, and we're not giving up because of you. Get the point? If you don't, you will, capice?"

"Y-yes ma'am," whimpered Mido. He escorted them to the door, and then led them to the entrance to the Lost Woods.

* * *

Okay, Lethargy _is_ the right word. I scared myself for a moment. Well, Navi scared me too, but screw that.

A warning: the next three chapters are short-ish too. In hindsight, I could probably have done these four in just two chapters. Oh well. Lazy again.


	13. Agent Gemini?

This chapter actually hints that something is going on. Of course, as I've said, by now enough has been said for you to realise what's going on. Don't worry; I'll tell you what's happening in about six chapters. Anyway, on with the show!

* * *

12

"So they're going into the Lost Woods, eh? Thank you, Omega. Take this; it will help you accomplish your mission. Just return it when the time comes."

"Yes, thank you, Master. This shall aid our mission greatly."

"Now, Gemini, go deploy… Gemini? GEMINI!!!"

The group was now wandering through the forest, following Mido. Some Skull Kids ran up. "Food!" they chanted.

"Remember me?" asked Link as he unsheathed his sword. The Skull Kids screamed and ran away. "How much farther is it?" begged Link.

"Calm down," grunted Mido. "We're almost there." He led them through some thick bushes and they entered a large clearing. On the opposite side was a stone door.

"We made it!" cheered Navi. "Let's go!" As they approached the door, the trees on either side leaned in, obstructing their path.

"Ee hee hee hee hee," came a voice from the center of the clearing. In a blast of black smoke, Twinrova once again appeared in front of the heroes. They spoke, "Our Master is foolish," "His plan will fail," "So we have come," "To make you wail!"

"What plan?" asked Zelda.

"We cannot say," they began, "For it is secret," But you need not know," "For your part is OVER!!" The witches then dove at the adventurers. They scattered.

"Link, remember, they are each the other's weakness!" called Sahasrahla.

"Why do I always have to fight the uglies?" asked Link. He drew his bow and nocked a fire arrow. He let it fly at Kotake. The witch screamed and disappeared.

"SISTER!" screamed Koume. Her grieving was cut short, however, by one of Link's ice arrows. She, like the other, disappeared with a scream.

"That was surprisingly easy," commented Navi. "Anyway, the trees moved, so let's go through the door." They approached the door: "Ye who triumph over Power present your key.

"S---," muttered Link. "How do we…" Link suddenly felt a chill. He turned to see a wave of dark energy fly past them and hit the door. The door shuddered, then opened, pulling them into the Sacred Realm.

When they landed, they were in a large stone room, plain except for an ornate mirror on the far wall. Link approached the mirror. "I don't trust this thing," he said. He raised his arm. His reflection raised its arm. He jumped up and down. His reflection jumped up and down. He stuck out his tongue. His reflection sneered at him.

Link jumped back as his reflection became surrounded in a dark aura. It lost all colour and became completely black. It ran at the mirror. When it reached it, it burst right through, landing in front of Link. It laughed an evil laugh as the telltale words appeared once more:

Hero of Darkness

SHADOW LINK

* * *

And so he appears. My favorite Zelda villain rears his incredibly cool head. I just dispair (or is it despair?) that he has a very small role. In my almost-guaranteed-not-to-get-onto-this-site story Four Smashing Swords, he has a larger part, but for now, he must do next to nothing.

On a more on-topic note, what just happened with Twinrova? It's like they don't trust their "master." And what is this plan of which they speak? And how did the team get through the door? All will be answered soon enough! Stay tuned for more!


End file.
